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SkyClan
Description SkyClan is a friendly Clan who lives in a forest like ThunderClan. Their territory has high branches and hard rocks, and they hunt birds, squirrels and chipmunks, but will eat any other prey they can get, except fish, reptiles and amphibians. They are smart and kind and are willing to lend a helping paw. They have strong legs that let them jump higher than other cats, and tough pads to protect them from the rocks. Allegiances Leader: Slantedstar - cream tabby she-cat with blue eyes - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Deputy: Rowanbirch - brown tabby she-cat with sleek, slightly oily fur almost smooth as birch and deep blue eyes - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Medicine cat: Leafymouse - fallow tabby she-cat with black stripes on her tail and green eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong Warriors: Sweetginger - young pale ginger she-cat with russet ears, tail, muzzle and paws and bright amber eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong : apprentice, Maplepaw Timberfeather - newly pregnant black-and-white she-cat with hazel eyes and a long tail - mate to Stormycloud - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Stormycloud - dark gray tom with a white patch on top of his head, coating his ears and amber eyes - mate to Timberfeather - roleplayed by Kittycat79 : apprentice, Sparkypaw Firtail - tortoiseshell she-cat with odd eyes; one is green, one yellow; she is old - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Greenbush - light gray she-cat with small, neat paws and green eyes - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Russetfuzz - russet she-cat with long, fuzzy fur and purple eyes - mother of Maplepaw, Yewpaw and Wisteriapaw - roleplayed by Pintosong : apprentice, Yewpaw Mistywisp - fluffy pale silver she-cat with white patches and ice-blue eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong : apprentice, Wisteriapaw Thrushtalon - bi-colour tom with green eyes - mate to Goldencloud and father of Milkkit and Frostkit - roleplayed by Pintosong Apprentices: Maplepaw - calico she-cat with russet and black patches and green eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong : Yewpaw - bright ginger tabby tom with russet stripes and green eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong : Wisteriapaw - beautiful silver tabby she-cat with purple eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong : Sparkypaw - white tabby tom with glittering blue eyes, quiet and not very social - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Queens: Goldencloud - golden tabby she-cat with yellow eyes - mate to Thrushtalon and mother of Milkkit and Frostkit - roleplayed by Pintosong Kits: Milkkit - cream tomkit with yellow eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong Frostkit - white she-kit with green eyes - roleplayed by Pintosong Elders: Nettlescar - dark-brown-and-white tom with a gray tail, legs and belly and blue eyes - father of Stormycloud - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Hattie - fluffy speckled dark brown she-cat with torn ears, ragged fur, tan stomach and glowing amber eyes, former loner - roleplayed by Kittycat79 Previous cats none Roleplay Rowanbirch, SkyClan's deputy, gave her smooth-pelted shoulder another lick then leapt onto the Rockpile and yowled, "Apprentices and warriors, gather to recieve the day's assignments!" Firtail woke with a start in her nest to find the warriors' den almost empty; only Stormycloud and Timberfeather remained. The dark gray tom was helping his mate groom herself. The morning sun lit up the large, fluffy-looking white marking on his head when he padded toward the entrance to the den, the black-and-white she-cat walking alongside him, and called over his shoulder, "Firtail, you coming? Rowanbirch just called." The thin, raggedy old she-cat rose from her warm, soft bedding, gave her fur a quick wash, then reluctantly left her nest to follow the pair of younger warriors down the stone trail to the camp clearing at the base. - Kittycat79 Sweetginger, Wisteriapaw, Yewpaw and Russetfuzz were assigned to a hunting patrol. The apprentices bounced around their mother's, Russetfuzz's, paws. Sweetginger felt a little intruding on the family, so she pretended to follow a scent. Russetfuzz nodded, and followed a real scent trail, flicking her fuzzy tail at her kits' ears to quiet them. Soon, Sweetginger saw a little gray squirrel at the base of a tree. The creature took no notice of her, and instead scratched it's ear. Taking the chance, the pale ginger warrior pounced. She was a great hunter. Her russet paws struck down on the squirrel's neck, killing it. Smiling at her kill, Sweetginger gave thanks to StarClan in her head. Immediately, she scented another squirrel, this time, up the tree to her left. She abandoned the previously caught squirrel and climbed the tree, digging her claws in the bark. The red squirrel spotted her and darted further up, so Sweetginger formed a plan in her head. She turned to the other side of the tree and scooted up as quickly as she could. Once she was foxlengths past the squirrel, she turned back. The plump red creature stared up at her fearfully. Sweetginger dropped, and fell on the squirrel. Once it was clamped in her jaws, she made to grab onto the tree. The bark scraped her claws, but she was used to it. She carefully clambered down the tall oak, and padded over to the gray squirrel. She dropped the red squirrel on top and thanks Starclan again, more fervently. Se picked both the squirrels up in her jaws by their tails and went to find Russetfuzz. - Pintosong Stormycloud, Firtail and Timberfeather arrived at the Rockpile to see the first patrol leave. "Firtail and Timberfeather, patrol the Twolegplace border and hunt a bit. Stormycloud, you can take your apprentice out for whatever training you want. He needs to catch up," Rowanbirch called. The two she-cats turned and ran back up the trail into the forest, Firtail lagging behind a bit on bony old legs. Stormycloud padded over to the apprentices' den and poked his head inside. "Sparkypaw!" he hissed. A dark-striped white head popped up from one of the beds. Yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness. "I just wanna sleep!" Sparkypaw complained, tucking his nose under his tail once again. His mentor squeezed into the rock shelter and nudged his apprentice. "C'mon, we'll practice stalking today. I've excused you from a lot of activities lately, and Rowanbirch herself said you need to catch up. You do - Wisteriapaw and Yewpaw are younger than you and started their training moons later, but they're almost ready for their first assessment and you're not. Now get out of your nest or you're on elder duty for a moon again." Sparkypaw snorted with annoyance, jumped up, licked his sleep-ruffled pelt into order, and followed Stormycloud out of camp on heavy paws. When they saw them pass, the elders Hattie and Nettlescar were grooming themselves in the morning sun, sharing a fat magpie. "Don't let 'im get away with acting all 'ike that!" Nettlescar called to his warrior son. "Those young ones 'eed to learn some good 'ol manners." Stormycloud nodded to his father and padded a little faster up the slope and disappeared through the entrance tunnel. - Kittycat79 When Russetfuzz's hunting patrol came back, the pale warrior Mistywisp padded up to them. "Hiya Russet!" she mewed, "Mind if I borrow Wisteriapaw for training? I hope she's not worn out." "Sure!" Russetfuzz replied, and a forementioned apprentice skipped up to her mentor. Signalling for Wisteriapaw to follow, Mistywisp bounded out of the camp. - Pintosong Stormycloud and Sparkypaw arrived at the training clearing, and the tom immediately started the session. "Now, Sparkypaw, show me your best hunting crouch. We might actually catch some real prey afterward if you do well enough." The apprentice's eyes lit up and his belly growled. He flattened it to the ground and crept forward slowly. His tail swished and he quickly stilled it when his mentor opened his mouth to tell off his apprentice about it. "Now, Sparkypaw, see if you can gather enough strength in your haunches to reach this root," Stormycloud instructed, tapping a dark brown length with his tail. It stuck out of the sand, and had a notch in the side that made it unique and easy to remember. Sparkypaw nodded, suddenly eager because of his intense hunger, and made a powerful jump. His claw-tips scraped the root but he fell a couple of mouse-lengths away from his target and flattened his ears in disgust. Stormycloud laid his fuzzy tail on the ground and abruptly lifted it. His apprentice understood and got up into a sitting position. "Why don't you try some more?" Stormycloud suggested. "Practice makes perfect, after all." Back at camp, Slantedstar emerged from her den and padded over to her deputy, who had leapt off the Rockpile. "Hello, Rowanbirch," she greeted, cream tabby fur sparkling in the sunshine. "Already sent out the patrols?" "Yes." "What were they?" "I assigned Russetfuzz, her kits Wisteriapaw and Yewpaw and Sweetginger to a hunting party, and Timberfeather's leading Firtail on a border patrol - they're going to catch some grub on the way. I gave Stormycloud a chance to work with Sparkypaw, and Mistywisp was asleep. After she woke late she requested to go collect her apprentice for training as well, so I allowed her." "Good job Rowanbirch, though I'd appreciate it if you were a little more strict and organized," Slantedstar meowed softly. "You can't let every kit catch its own beetle, you know. Assign all cats to structured patrols for the morning schedule. Apprentice-training and multi-task parties can wait till later. Two cats isn't enough to properly secure a boundary, and if a cat misses the morning meeting they get punished." "But I...very well, Slantedstar. Tomorrow I'll make sure every warrior and apprentice are part of a sophisticated, one-task patrol, and each group will have a good amount of cats in it." Slantedstar dipped her head approvingly and walked off to the fresh-kill pile. - Kittycat79 "Remember, Wisteriapaw, to tuck in your tail." The silvery apprentice tried, but fell backwards with a thump. When she got up, Mistywisp flicked her ears, "Try again." After a while, Wisteriapaw managed to stay up and Mistywisp beamed, "Good job, Wisty!" (everycat calls her that because Wisteriapaw is too long) "Now, let's try that move..." They trained and trained until the forest was bathed in orange light. - Pintosong Stormycloud and Sparkypaw returned to camp, each carrying prey in his jaw. They dropped their catch on the fresh-kill pile and dragged some fresh-kill away to where Hattie was sitting grooming her pelt. "Wanna hear another story?" she croaked. Sparkypaw nodded and the elderly she-cat began, "How I came to be a SkyClan cat...now that's a juicy tale. You see, I was just wandering Twolegplace one day.." Rowanbirch picked her own meal from the heap and settled down next to her brother Stormycloud, fluffing her pelt against the evening chill. The gray tom purred as he greeted his older sibling. Slantedstar devoured a squirrel atop the Rockpile, gaze sweeping over her Clan. It halted briefly at the entrance, where Timberfeather was leading Firtail into camp. They charged down into the gorge and deposited their own catch on the fresh-kill pile. Stormycloud smelled his mate's scent, gave his sister a lick on the cheek and carried his prey over to where Timberfeather was already making a hearty meal of a mouse next to the river. "Are you okay going out on duties with the kits you're carrying?" he asked. The pregnant bicolour she-cat nodded. "They're weighing me down a bit though. I might move into the nursery within the next few days." Stormycloud nuzzled her affectionately. SkyClan didn't have any offspring born in the gorge yet, so his kits would be a very important goal reached. He purred at the thought and took another bite from his chipmunk. - Kittycat79 Russetfuzz curled up in her nest in the warriors' den. She rested her chin on her tail and thought of her mate, Jock. The gray tom had decided to stay at Twolegplace to look after the housefolk. She still really missed him. Leafymouse was also in her nest, but she was thinking of something different. The clan really needed a medicine cat. Sure, they hadn't had any injuries other than thorns in their paws, but what if something happened, like a fox attack? Leafymouse shivered. She knew what she had to do. She jumped out of her nest and picked her way outside. She saw Slantedstar on top of the Rockpile. The tabby scrambled up the Rockpile. When she got up, panting, Slantedstar was staring at her with worried blue eyes. Without hesitation, Leafymouse took a deep breath and mewed, "I wish to be the medicine cat of SkyClan." - Pintosong Shocked, Slantedstar hesitated, gathering her thoughts. Then she meowed, "Are you sure, Leafymouse? You're an excellent hunter, an asset to the Clan. But if you want to be a medicine cat...do you have knowledge of healing herbs?" the slender, pale-coloured leader asked. (BTW Leafymouse is the cutest name!) - Kittycat79 More confident now, Leafymouse answered, "Yes, and I believe that StarClan will lead me to learn more." (Btw, thanks for that last comment, Kitty.) - Pintosong Hattie pricked her ears and padded over. "I've used herbs in my time," she meowed. (She had finished the story she was telling to Rowanbirch and Sparkypaw). Slantedstar and Leafymouse whipped around to face the aged cat. "You have?" Slantedstar inquired in disbelief. Hattie nodded. "You 'eard me right, young lass," she mewed. "I was too old to take on a special role when I joined SkyClan. I don't know 'em all, but I know a good few of those plants." She turned to the warrior. "Ya need medicine cat advice anytime, young dear, you come see me. May 'at StarClan o' yours light your path." - Kittycat79 "Thanks, Hattie!" Leafymouse smiled at the ragged she-cat. - Pintosong Hattie purred a loud, rumbling purr and padded off, back to the fresh-kill pile for seconds. Stormycloud stretched out on the smooth stone of the riverbank after eating. He washed his face, then sat up. A chill wind blew over the camp, and the forest was darkening with night. Only the tip of the orange sun could be seen above the horizon. "You wanna go in?" the tom asked his mate. Timberfeather nodded and tried to stretch, but her swollen stomach stopped her halfway through. The she-cat yawned. "The cold won't do me any good," she meowed. "I'll move into the nursery tomorrow, after I've been on a couple of patrols." Stormycloud nodded and the two cats, pelts brushing, trudged up the slope and disappeared into the warriors' den. The tom warrior's gray fur blended with the shadows as he kneaded his bed into shape, then settled into it, relieved to feel soft moss, feathers, grass and ferns against his tired, aching muscles. The white-and-black she-cat collapsed beside him, and the pair quickly drifted into sleep. Sparkypaw rose to his paws, which were numb with paresthesia. He shook them out, trying to wake his limbs up, and limped awkwardly into the apprentices' den. Pretty much every one of his denmates had beaten him to it - of course they had, no one liked Sparkypaw because he was a little antisocial. The tabby tom laid down in his soft bedding and shut his eyes. Rowanbirch called to her friend Greenbush, who was sitting at the edge of the clearing eating a rabbit. She looked up sharply when she heard the deputy's voice. "Come on, Greenbush. Every cat in SkyClan's going to bed, so we'd may as well." As she spoke, she noticed Slantedstar disappear into the leader's den, and Firtail beat Rowanbirch to the warriors'. "We'll share your fresh-kill once we've got a roof over our heads." Greenbush sighed, picked up her half-finished meal and followed Rowanbirch into the pitch blackness of the warriors' den, glancing over her shoulder to see Nettlescar pad into his den, calling to Hattie. The reply (Yes, I'm in here, mouse-brain!) came, and Nettlescar slipped silently into shelter, leaving the camp clearing empty apart from a couple of cats. "Hey!" Greenbush jumped when she heard Stormycloud's irritated, sleepy mew. She realized she'd stepped on something fluffy - his tail! "Sorry!" the young she-cat apologized swiftly, hopping off the tail, and wandered over to her nest, lying down in it. Rowanbirch took a temporary spot next to her so the two friends could finish the rabbit together. - Kittycat79 Morning came, and Leafymouse awoke to cats yawning, grumbling, snoring and complaining. Remembering what she and Slantedstar had discussed, she jumped up and ran outside to the Rockpile. When the cats were more awake, Slantedstar would announce that Leafymouse was to be medicine cat, who, at night, will enter the Whispering Cave to meet her ancestors. - Pintosong Slantedstar walked out of her den, washing her pelt. She blinked away the glare of the morning sunlight and glanced over to where Leafymouse was waiting. "I'll just have a snack, then call the meeting," she meowed. Leafymouse dipped her head to her leader, and Slantedstar picked a wood mouse from the fresh-kill pile, gulped it down and leaped onto the Rockpile, Leafymouse sitting at the base. "Let all cats old enough to jump between the trees gather here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" she called formally. Her smooth voice bounced and echoed off the walls of the gorge as the cats padded over and formed the crowd. "Leafymouse, is it your wish to refrain from your warrior duties and take on the role of SkyClan's medicine cat?" the leader called. "It is." "Then by the power of StarClan, I switch your position from warrior to medicine cat. May you spend the rest of your days guided down the path of healing by our ancestors." When Slantedstar finished speaking, the Clan erupted in delighted yowls. "Leafymouse! Leafymouse!" Once they died down Slantedstar announced, "In the tradition of our ancestors, Leafymouse will visit the Whispering Cave tonight to be accepted by StarClan." - Kittycat79 Leafymouse skipped down the rockpile into the crowd to be greeted by her bestie, Mistywisp, who mewed, "Congrats, Leafy! Didn't know you wanted to become a medicine cat!" "Thanks!" Leafymouse laughed, "Next step: be accepted by StarClan!" - Pintosong Timberfeather was watching from the fresh-kill pile, eating a squirrel. Her mate Stormycloud, sitting beside her, swept his tail over her back gently. "It's great we have a medicine cat now," he meowed. "I was worried there would be no one there to help you give birth." Timberfeather purred and continued wolfing down her prey - she wanted to get to one of her two final patrols quickly. - Kittycat79 Leafymouse padded into her new den. It was dark, wet, cold and dusty. She sighed and went back outside, to find Hattie. To her surprise, she was right outside the den, ears pricked expectantly (sorry, Kitty, if I'm kinda controlling your character). "Heya, Hattie." Leafymouse meowed, "I was just about to look for you! I was wondering where I might find some herbs." - Pintosong Hattie nodded. "Well, everyone knows Timberfeather is expecting kits, so the first herbs you should 'ollect are birth ones. Now, young lass, do you know any herbs related to kitting?" - Kittycat79 "Uhhhh... I know about chervil, but I have no idea what it does. Doesn't fennel help with pain in the hips?" Leafymouse said. - Pintosong Nettlescar padded past, heading for the fresh-kill pile. "Slow down there, young 'un," he rasped. "Give Hattie time to think." "Oh, it's alright, Nettlescar," the flecked brown elder meowed. "You do your thing." The old tom nodded and continued to the stack of prey in the center of the camp. Hattie turned back to Leafymouse, licked a tuft of tan-coloured fur on her plump belly, then looked up again. "Chervil, dear, is used for infected wounds - like marigold and dock - and also bellyache, one of the uses of juniper berries. Chervil's useful during kitting as well. Fennel is the hips, you're correct there. So chervil's on our list for Timberfeather, ain't it? Now, always keep raspberry leaves handy at births, as well as wet moss for the queen to drink. Borage is eaten by the mother if she isn't producing enough milk, while parsley reduces the amount. Never get those two mixed up - I should know. And a long-ago ThunderClan cat, Bluewhatsit in the stories, invented the kitting stick. It's a short, stumpy, non-splintery old fellow that the queen bites down on when the pains get really intense. Borage is useful for fevers as well, like feverfew. And fennel is good for births too, because the mother might get bad pain in the hips after pushing out those kits. Are you gonna remember all 'at? I can help you during Timberfeather's ordeal if you want, and my stiff old joints might allow me to make a few herb-gathering trips." - Kittycat79 "Whoa," Leafymouse joked, "It's too much for my young brain! Okay, let me try to recap," she became serious, "So, chervil's infected wounds and bellyache, fennel's the hips, raspberry's good for kitting. Borage for more milk, parsley for less." The new medicine cat paused, tail tapping on the ground, "Juniper's used for bellyache, a kitting stick to bite on, feverfew for fevers, obviously... any more you mentioned?" - Pintosong The elder shook her head. "You've got 'em all down. Now, you need to identify 'em for pickin'. Chervil has a sweet scent and large, fernlike leaves; it grows white flowers. The knobby brown roots are used for the same things as the leaves. Fennel has long stalks and thin, spiky leaves, sorta like hair. Grows in dry soil near riverbanks. Raspberry leaves are soft and fuzzy, but with jagged edges, and the bushes grow red berries. Borage has distinctive star-shaped blue or purple flowers. It grows best in the thick woods. Parsley has long stems and sharp, ragged, crinkly little leaves. Smells strong and grows in well-drained, moist dirt. Oh yes, I forgot it cures bellyache. And as you know, sticks can be found anywhere and everywhere." Hattie rose to her paws and stretched until her legs quivered. "Be warned, there are a ''lot ''more to learn. Dock, marigold and cobwebs are good to keep stocked up regularly - dock and marigold cure wounds, while cobwebs stop bleeding. Dock has broad, dark green, long leaves that smell zesty and sour - don't pick them with your mouth unless you want a numb tongue. Marigold has large, majestic yellow, golden or orange flowers and small green leaves." With that, the elderly she-cat walked off and joined Nettlescar by the fresh-kill pile. Sparkypaw fidgeted near the apprentices' den. Stormycloud wanted to spend a bit of time with his mate, and no one else wanted the snappy white tabby apprentice along with them. He sighed. Maybe he should just go sleep the day off. - Kittycat79 On the way out to gather herbs, Leafymouse kept repeating the information out loud, "Chervil, sweet, ferny, white flowers. Fennel, long stalks, thin, hair-like spiky leaves. Raspberry, soft, fuzzy, edges are jagged. Borage- ." she was concentrating on the herbs so much, she tripped over a rock and scraped her chin. "I kinda need some dock, marigold and cobwebs right now." she mumbled, wincing at the sharp pain on her chin. However, the medicine cat stood up and continued her search. - Pintosong Back at camp, Rowanbirch padded to the base of Rockpile. "Everyone gather for morning assignments!" she yowled. All active cats in the Clan, excluding Slantedstar, came; Stormycloud and Timberfeather had gone out on a walk together. "Mistywisp, you lead a border patrol along the Twolegplace boundary. Take Greenbush, Wisteriapaw and Russetfuzz. Firtail, you go hunting. Bring along Sweetginger and Yewpaw. I will lead a hunting patrol of Sparkypaw and Maplepaw." Just as the tabby deputy finished speaking, Timberfeather and her mate walked through the entrance and down the rock trail. "Stormycloud!" Rowanbirch called. The gray tom's white-topped head whipped around, ears pricked. "You can join my hunting party. Everyone move out!" Rowanbirch commanded. She sprinted to the foot of the slope, signaled with her tail and led the warrior and apprentices out of camp - Sparkypaw had been resting, and woken by the announcement. Firtail followed, Yewpaw and Sweetginger right behind. Mistywisp was lucky last to leave camp with her patrol. Across the clearing, the leader watched from the mouth of her den. She was impressed by her deputy's actions. - Kittycat79 Mistywisp led the patrol to Twolegplace. Everything seemed nice and quiet. Wisteriapaw was walking close to her paws. Before long, however, a family of cats, a golden tabby queen, a bi-colour tom and two starved kits, were found wandering near the border. Mistywisp felt pity for the family, and yowled to them, "You four alright?" The tom hissed, but the she-cat silenced him with a flick of her tail, "We were just trying to find a place to stay." her belly rumbled. The kits mewled for milk. Russetfuzz gasped, "You need food, immediately!" she glanced at the rest of the patrol. Mistywisp nodded. "We should take you to our clan." she said. The tom and queen stared at the border patrol. It was many long minutes until the white kit started coughing when the queen sighed and mewed, "Alright." "Good. Greenbush, Russetfuzz," Mistywisp addressed said cats, "take them to our camp." The cats picked up a kit each and padded off in the direction of the camp, with the tom and she-cat tagging behind. When they were gone, Mistywisp and Wisteriapaw continued their patrol. ................................................... Russetfuzz and Greenbush led the mates to camp, while each holding a kit. The trek was slow and careful, but eventually they made it. Leafymouse was already back, carrying herbs up to the medicine den. Her eyes widened when she saw the Twolegplace cats. Russetfuzz and Greenbush didn't bother explaining, but instead padded up to Slantedstar's den. Russetfuzz place the kit she was holding on the ground and called to the leader, "Slantedstar, we have a bit of a situation here!" - Pintosong The cream tabby she-cat ran out of her den, fur bristling with alarm. Her pelt smelled of chaffinch; she'd been eating. "What's wro - Great StarClan, what's happened?" she meowed in shock, noticing the kittypets. She sniffed them. "They smell of Twolegplace," she observed. "Yes," Greenbush replied, dropping her burden carefully. "We found them at the border. They need immediate care." ...................................................... Firtail lead Sweetginger and the apprentice through the trees, then halted. They pulled up on either side of her. "Go and search wherever for prey," the old warrior instructed. "Meet me back here when you're done, and catch at least two pieces of fresh-kill." Yewpaw and Sweetginger nodded and sped off, whilst the party's leader dropped into a crouch right there and started sniffing the ground and breeze for prey. - Kittycat79 The loners were given food and water, and the kits suckled happily from the queen, whose name was Goldie. Her mate, Racer, explained their situation to Slantedstar, "We were once house cats, but our housefolk was cruel. He underfed us, and hit the kits whenever they started playfighting. We escaped, but we weren't better off in Twolegplace, so we decided to try the forest. I noticed you were rather well-fed," Racer stared around camp, eyeing the fresh-kill pile hungrily, "So we wondered, if we could, well, join SkyClan?" he added hopefully. (please let them join!) - Pintosong Slantedstar considered the request for a moment. "If you join SkyClan, know that if you want to be cared for and supported by your Clanmates, you must do the same for them. Goldie will be a nursery queen suckling Opal and Kirby until they are six moons and become apprentices. But Racer, you will have to work all the while. If you want to become members of my Clan, you must learn the warrior code and the skills of fighting, stalking, scenting, tail signals and more. You must hunt for the Clan, and only after for yourself. The leader's word is ultimately law, and always remember that the security of the Clan as a whole is much more important than the security of one cat, no matter what rank they hold. You must treat all your Clanmates as you wish to be treated, and follow SkyClan's customs and traditions. It is not vital that you believe in our holy warrior ancestors, StarClan, who walk amongst the stars as the spirits of the deceased and watch over us at all times, visibly at night when Silverpelt, the stars, sparkle in the black sky, though I would appreciate it if you did hold belief in them. And lastly, if you join us, you must have your name changed to that of a Clan cat. The only exception in our Clan of that rule is Hattie, but she is a well-respected elder, and that rule is not to be broken again." ..................................... Sparkypaw trudged along behind the hunting patrol, tail drooping. He hadn't managed to catch anything, but Maplepaw, Stormycloud and Rowanbirch had: the fellow apprentice held two chaffinches in her mouth, while Stormycloud had caught a fat squirrel, and the deputy held three birds and a mouse in her jaws as she lead them down the trail into the gorge, Firtail's party following - the three others had also caught food. All the newly returned cats' hackles stood up, their tails bushed out, when they smelled kittypet and saw Racer talking to Slantedstar, Goldie feeding her kits in the shade. The two patrols dropped their prey onto the fresh-kill pile, and stood in the clearing, fur smoothing slowly but their heads to one side and eyes gleaming with curiosity. The leader noticed their expressions. "This is Racer," she explained, "and his mate Goldie, along with their kits Kirby and Opal. They are loners who were abused by Twolegs in the past, and have asked to join the ranks of SkyClan." The stench of fear that was rolling off the patrols in waves had vanished. Rowanbirch came forward in a confident stride and sniffed the tom loner. "Okay, but I'd keep an eye on them. We don't know if we can trust these cats yet." Head high, the SkyClan deputy selected a vole from the fresh-kill pile and walked over to the warriors' den to eat, blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. The rest of the Clan cats gathered in a loose circle around the newcomers, ears twitching, fur prickling, tails swishing back and forth with distrust. Tension crackled in the air like lightning. - Kittycat79 Racer noticed the cats' hostility, stood up and said, "I understand if you don't trust us yet, since we haven't proven ourselves to you yet. But, I promise, I will do my best to fit in to the clan." "So will I." Goldie mewed from the shade. The kits had stopped suckling and were sitting up like warriors would during their vigil. The tension coming from SkyClan was wavering, and disappearing. Some cats were even nodding enthusiastically, knowing that what Racer had said was true. - Pintosong Slantedstar nodded, then leaped up onto the Rockpile. "Let all cats old enough to jump between the trees gather below the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. Since all the Clan was already in the clearing, they simply turned to face their leader, some padding a little closer to the vantage point. Tails stopped flicking and wrapped around paws, ears pricked up, fur smoothed, and the gorge fell silent, waiting for Slantedstar to speak. Rowanbirch abandoned her meal, licked her lips and jumped onto the Rockpile, settling beside Slantedstar. "Racer, Goldie, Kirby, Opal!" the SkyClan leader called, beckoning with her tail. "Come and sit just beneath the Rockpile for the ceremony, please." - Kittycat79 The family did as they were told. Cats shuffled out of the way as they padded through the crowd. Kirby and Opal were quivering excitedly. - Pintosong "Racer, Goldie, Opal and Kirby," Slantedstar meowed. "You were once loners, kittypets. Abused by Twolegs, wandering alone. But now you have come to the light at the end of the tunnel. You will join SkyClan, and be counted among its ranks for many seasons to come. You will all be honoured and respected the rest of your lives, with all of SkyClan around you, bound together by the warrior code and faith in StarClan." Slantedstar held herself a little taller. "Racer!" she called. The tom walked to his place in front of the crowd. "From this day forward you will be known as Thrushtalon. SkyClan welcomes you." The tom purred with joy. "Goldie!" The loner she-cat hurried to stand beside her mate, their kits bouncing around her. She stilled them with a commanding flick of her tail. "From this day forward you will be known as Goldencloud. SkyClan welcomes you." The queen bowed her head a little, trying to be modest. Next the leader called out, "Kirby, from this moment on your name will be Milkkit. Opal, from this moment on your name will be Frostkit." The throng of cats exploded in a chorus of happy yowling. "Thrushtalon! Goldencloud! Milkkit! Frostkit! Thrushtalon! Goldencloud! Milkkit! Frostkit!" When the cheers died down, Slantedstar sprang gracefully from the Rockpile. "If this doesn't call for a feast, nothing does!" she announced, and started tossing prey at her cats' paws. "To our new members!" - Kittycat79 Leafymouse ate and chatted with the newest members of SkyClan. They didn't talk about their old life, but the life they might have. ''A wise choice, ''Leafymouse thought with approval. The medicine cat also arranged to find some herbs to get them back in top condition. - Pintosong Rowanbirch was sharing the remains of her vole with Mistywisp. When Greenbush arrived, belly growling, the tabby deputy stood up, brushed cheeks with the younger, gray she-cat and padded over to Leafymouse and the new SkyClan cats. "Hello," she meowed to the medicine cat. When Leafymouse dipped her head respectively and mewed a greeting, Rowanbirch turned to Thrushtalon. "You'll be assigned a mentor tomorrow," she told him edgily, eyes icy slits all of a sudden. "Even though you have a warrior name you will still need to be tutored before I can allow you to work with the rest of ''your ''Clanmates." She spat the word "your", rolling her eyes, and looked straight into Goldencloud's. "After your kits are apprenticed, you'll be taught as well," she growled. Thrushtalon started to get up, ready to defend his mate, but after Rowanbirch went back to where her friends were waiting with the vole, Leafymouse tried to calm them down. (Pinto, could you do me a favour and roleplay what was just mentioned? Thx). - Kittycat79 Category:Clan